Where to go

But I keep trying, keep plugging away at salons with their blasting dryers, yanking brushes and hot tongs. So to Aer in South Kensington: a new blow-dry bar created by the glamorous, wavy-locked former L’Oréal haircare executive Anushka Lakhani. The salon is fresh and pretty, with tumbling plants, whitewashed exposed brick, gold-rimmed mirrors and an unexpectedly Downton Abbey-chic green washroom.

My heart sank when stylist Joanna Williamson explained their signature look. “Big, bouncy, lots of volume or dead straight”. (Okay, I know I’m in the minority here, and this is what most people head to the hairdresser’s for.) I gather myself and explain my dream look: “I’ve been on a massive country walk, caught in a rainstorm, my hair’s been lashed by the wind, then magically the sun’s come out and dried it. And then I have to squish through a gap in a bush, and when I’m finally home from my adventure, I’ve got healthy, happy, scruffy hair, with maybe the odd twig or leaf stuck in there for good measure.”

Joanna didn’t flinch. And somehow, someway, she delivered what I’m always after. Perfectly imperfect. Clean but messy. Done but not precious. Aer got it. I might be converted to blow-dries, particularly if they add, “Elegantly dragged through a hedge backwards” to the menu.

Aer blow-dry bar offers all Vanity Fair A-List subscribers the chance to win a consultation with Aer styling director, a package of six blow-dries and an eyebrow thread and tint session (total value £235). Don’t miss out on future offers, sign up to the A-List.